My favorite film critic is Roger Ebert. I’ve been reading his stuff since 1990, and I’ve learned so much about movies from his reviews. Ebert’s reviews are entertaining and worthy reads on their own; he doesn’t just review a movie - he analyzes it, explains what makes it good, bad, or ugly, and does it with humor and insight. He’s a keen student of culture, politics, history, and society, and he is able to integrate all of that into most of his reviews. I don’t always agree with his assessments (or his politics), but I always appreciate reading what he has written. Simply put, he taught me how to appreciate movies, not just enjoy them.
Oh, and if you think that MetaFilter doesn’t have enough posts about Roger Ebert, well, you better think again.